There will be time for sleep
by Serpent Roi
Summary: A short drabble involving Butch and Ellen Deloria about Butch dealing with his Mothers alcoholic withdrawal.


"B-Butchie?"

"Mhmm?" He lifted his heavy lids, rolling his eyes lazily to the voice that beckoned him, closing and opening softly against the willing pull of sleep. Dazed he offered a sleeping smile to the figure before him; the small tiny frame shuddered in his blurred vision. She shot him a pleading look that caused a frown to form on his brow almost immediately, sitting forward in the chair. Running a hand roughly down his face he pitched his brow trying to force the tiredness to leave, to help him try to focus.

"B-Butc-chie?"

"Yeah Mom?" His tone was short but only from the grogginess of just awakening, he needed to stop snapping it wasn't often she woke him from sleep, knowing that he found it difficult to succumb to a deep sleep.

"Is there…"

"No Mom." Fuck, he knew this was coming, he had come home from class waiting for the inevitable but it didn't come, not at first. Then after a few days he walked in, the sight of her sprawled across the sofa an arm cast over her face, the lights shut off drowning the room in darkness. He questioned her, confused by what he saw, why she had shut herself in darkness, but a mumbled reply about a headache was all that she could come up with. Back then he didn't know he was none the wiser, never in the apartment enough to notice that she wasn't drinking, that in fact she had drunk everything in the first few days of getting the booze. The ration coupons didn't come through for another couple of days and she had begun to show signs of withdrawal.

Pushing himself from the chair he placed himself next to her, a concerned frown on his brow as he studied the pale face before him, clammy, a sickly sheen of grey washed over her skin. The dull green eyes peered at him through matted, straggles of damp hair that clung to her face. Running a finger across her brow he pushed them out of the way brushing them in back off her face, the dampness of her skin transferring to the pad. Gently he pressed the back of his hand too her forehead, it burned furiously under the touch yet her body shuddered violently as if cold, as if it needed the heat. As she went to clutch his hand her fingers trembled, all he could do was watch as she shakily grasped at his palm curling her fingers into his and gripping as tightly as she could, trying to transfer whatever she was feeling to him and he allowed it. Her weakened state couldn't do much, the hold wasn't painful but he could feel the shaking slowly becoming more and more violent, squeezing her eyes shut as it further increased the tension round his hand.

"Butchi-ie p-please do s-somethi-ing…" Clamping his eyes shut he glanced away from her, a pained frown set in his features. No she couldn't, there was nothing he could do he had already begged the Overseer to help but the stubborn bastard wouldn't give in, despite their arrangement he still didn't have any sort of advantage over him. The fingers unfolded from his now clawing at his jacket, suit, shirt anything her weak, feeble grasp could hold on too, crawling up his chest holding his shoulder shaking him vigorously, demanding he did something to take away whatever she was going through. But what she needed he didn't have and no amount of pleading and begging would change that.

"Mom… I can't." She continued to shake his form as best she could, it was only met with a blank, passive expression from the Tunnel Snake who merely sat there letting her take it out on him, weakly slamming her fists in his chest, each one getting softer as her energy depleted, her form began to shudder and heavy, small sobs escaping and quivering at her lips.

Once again he shut his eyes opening them to the ceiling so he didn't have to see her, didn't have to view her this way. He would take her drunk any day over this, not to see her fall apart in front of him, a broken, fragile woman with nothing more in life than the need to drink. He must have days of this ahead of him, would it get worse? Would she be able to handle it? Would he be able to handle it?Biting down hard on his lip he tried to hold back the surge of emotions that swelled in his cheeks, pressuring under his eyes. There was no use in falling apart, he had to be strong he knew this he always had. It was just him and his Mom, she needed him more than anything right now and he had to keep it together. For her.

Casting his glance back to her the pleading, bloodshot green met his crystal blue; the tremors racked her body, each limb shuddering from the withdrawal and sobs. He collected her light frame from the sofa and pulled her in wrapping his arms round her hold her body down attempting to try and halt the rapidly increase shakes and flinches in some way. She clawed at his arms holding on to whatever portion of energy she had left as he gently rocked her, fighting back the urge to blot from the room, to rampage the vault not caring who he stole from, or even if they saw him just so he could stop this.

"D-don't leave B-Butchie pleas-se."

"I won't." Resting his chin on her head he continued the rhythmic swaying, trying to lull her, whether it was to sleep or just to calm her down he didn't know. It was all acted on impulse, nothing was planned he didn't know what to do apart from sit here and be there for here. Anything could happen to her in this condition, he would have to stay up and watch over her make sure she didn't… he didn't know what could happen.

Eventually, the sharp jerks and flinches subsided; the small frame fell limp in his arms. Gathering her up he carried her into the only bed laying her on her side, removing the strands of hair that fell over her face. Fuck, it shouldn't be like this, he shouldn't have to do this but he would because she was his Mom, no matter what. Placing himself in the chair across from the bed he slumped in it, his head in one hand gazing at the pale mass, he would sleep when he could, class if he had too, nap in the canteen at lunch so he could watch over her on night. Shit, Brotch was going to have his ass, fuck him, his studying could be put on hold for a few weeks, the G.O.A.T wasn't for another few years or so, he had time to catch up.

With that though he let his eyes close, somehow able to keep his body between being awake and sleep, every movement or murmur that came from the bed instantly shocked his senses immediately back into focus, snapping his eyes open and focusing on the bed. Once he was satisfied she was settled again he slipped back into the dozing state until awoken again.


End file.
